WANT to know why people study in London? We've asked our editor Francesca Turauskis, a Creative Writing and Drama graduate from Kingston University, what is (and isn't) so great about South West London.
STUDENT WORLD ONLINE: What do you love about South West London?
FRANCESCA: The variety! Living on the outskirts of London is sometimes like living in two worlds. It can be very quiet and feel like a small suburban town sometimes, with farmers markets for food and lots of family houses, yet it is still very multi-cultural and busy. All the supermarkets have world-food shelves, (my favourite are the Polish and Korean.) Each borough has its own personality, with different events and festivals. And you are a short-hop away from central London. There is always so much to choose from.
SWO: Did you feel differently when you first arrived?
F: When I first moved here, I thought I would be going into central London all the time, I didn’t think the South West part would be as interesting as it was. But in my first year, I only went into the centre about twice!
SWO: Is there anything you don’t like about South West London?
F: It gets very busy at times. The sunshine brings everyone out and Christmas bring everyone in from further afield. And there is no getting away from the fact that it is expensive. You sometimes have to choose between a nice night out and a cheap night out.
SWO: Is it easy to get around South West London?
F: The transport links are brilliant. Oyster Cards make it really easy to travel, the buses and trains are regular, and they go everywhere. Although, at peak times, it does turn into a battle with other commuters.
SWO: What is there to see and do in South West London?
F: Aside from the famous Wimbledon tennis, there is also the road-cycling race that started during the 2012 Olympics and now happens each summer. Or you can take a boat cruise on the Thames. And I have to mention the theatres. The Rose in Kingston brings in some great, and sometimes famous, performances. Dame Judy Dench performed A Midsummer Night’s Dream there a few years ago. The Orange Tree in Richmond does some great new writing, and the Polka in Wimbledon is a great family theatre. The International Youth Arts Festival also takes place in Kingston every year and lets you see cheap and free performance and art.
SWO: Good shops?
F: Lots. There is a mixture of all the high street shops you would expect and some really great independent ones too. I used to live in Old London Road in Kingston, which was dangerous as the shops are great. That Vintage Shop has clothes at good prices, but my favourite one is Kingston Antiques Centre, which is a treasure trove. Spread across two floors in a fantastic old, creaky building, it has everything: clothes, toys, jewellery, and furniture. Plus, there is a Polish café on the first floor. I have spent whole afternoons wandering around longingly.
SWO: Good places to eat?
F: Everything you could think of. Anywhere along the river there will be great places. The only problem is that you can sometimes find a really good new place and the next time you go there, it has already gone out of business and been replaced. Everything changes quickly in South West London.
SWO: Good places to drink?
F: My favourite for cocktails is The Powder Keg Diplomacy in Clapham Junction. It’s a Victorian themed cocktail bar and restaurant with doors on the ceiling. The cocktails they mix are all incredibly beautiful, incredibly tasty and unique. The Fighting Cocks in Kingston is a metal pub attached to a tattoo parlour, and is famous for its comedy nights and live gigs. They have a jukebox full of classic rock and metal tunes (although the old one was recently replaced with an electronic one) and during Happy Hour you can get two cocktails for £6.66.
SWO: Good places to relax and hang out?
F: One of things that the South West of London has over the rest of London is the Royals Parks. Where I live is Kingston, I am surrounded by three of them: Richmond Park is the largest and most famous, but there is also Bushy Park and Home Park, which join onto the grounds of Hampton Court. You can take some food and drink for a picnic and there will always be a secluded spot if you walk for long enough. Although you may be joined by some of the deer!
SWO: What’s the area like?
F: It is quite wealthy. Celebrities often live in South West London if they don’t want to live in the centre of the city (would you like to live near Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie?). But there is also a lot to do for free. There’s some great history too. The first kings of England were crowned in Kingston.
SWO: What’s the university like?
F: There are several universities in South West London and they are all quite different. My university, Kingston, has several campuses across the town dating from different eras. UAL in Wimbledon has a great collaborative atmosphere for artists and Roehampton has a very traditional campus in old buildings and beautiful grounds.
SWO: Do you live on campus?
F: At Kingston University, all the halls are actually quite far from the university. I lived closer to the university when I was living ‘off-campus’ in a house-share. There are lot of possibilities for students and the transport is so easy, you can live further out with no issues.
SWO: How much is monthly rent?
F: Expensive. University accommodation can sometimes be more expensive than private, sometimes more than £200 per week. The room that I was in during halls was en-suite and now costs £129 per week. I currently pay £450 per month for renting privately in Kingston. Some of my friends who lived in Wimbledon paid quite a lot more.
SWO: How much is a cinema ticket, a two-mile cab ride, and a 1 kg bag of rice?
F: A peak-time showing at my local cinema is about £8.50 for a student ticket, but there are cheaper tickets during off-peak. I nearly always use a 2 for 1 deal on Tuesdays or Wednesdays. I hardly ever take the taxi because the buses are so frequent, but I think it was about £8 the last time I took a ride. There are so many supermarkets to choose from: Rice can be really cheap in places like Lidl – less than 40p for a 1KG bag.
